Were the American colonists the exception?
Reader comment on item: Can Hezbollah and Hamas Be Democratic?

Submitted by Pat (United States), Mar 23, 2005 at 17:19

There was at least one instance where rebels became the establishment. I refer to America, where the man who led the American colonists against the British army went on to become the father of our country and a major force in our democracy. He established an unofficial two-term limit for presidents, which stood for more than a century.

Daniel is skeptical, but that does that mean his mind is closed to the possibility that current members of Hamas and Hezbollah are capable of democratic government? If we write them off as incapable of democracy, will democracy ever stand a chance in the Middle East?

The Nazi party was banned in Germany after the war. Maybe the solution is to ban these parties and invite their members to form new organizations. If Hamas really does have a "political" wing then there should be no problem.

The same goes for Hezbollah. If the new parties continue to espouse violence and the people still support them, then we know what the future will look like and it's not pretty.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.